


The Cat in the Castle and Other Stories

by oxfordRoulette



Category: Princess Tutu
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/F, F/M, Fairy Tale Style, Gen, Illustrated, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-03 15:30:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1072118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxfordRoulette/pseuds/oxfordRoulette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An illustrated look at obscure legends and fairy tales from throughout the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Firewood Girl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_magnificent_sheep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_magnificent_sheep/gifts).



> the_magnificent_sheep-- Your gift was originally going to be the last chapter of this fic, but I was inspired and blossoms of other fairy tales crept into the compilation. I hope you enjoy the finished story (despite it being longer than I intended), and happy holidays.

Once upon a time, there was a brave girl who lived in a small village near the woods.

Because she was the most determined member of the tiny town, every evening, the village head would send her out to collect firewood for the main hearth. The girl would always go, no matter how chilly or how windy, because the people in the village depended on her.

One day, just as the sun began to sink behind the horizon, the girl found a pile of black feathers underneath a tree. The feathers shone in the dimness, reflecting the orange light like a crystal. They radiated not only beauty, but also a strange kind of power. 

The girl wondered what kind of bird could have dropped these feathers. She was so entranced by their appearance that she knew she had to take one back with her. Perhaps all the villagers would be as excited as she upon viewing these surely magical items.

She picked one up and placed it in the pocket of her dress, then headed home with her firewood.

When she got back to the little village, everyone was frightened of what peeked out of her pocket. The elders screamed, mothers covered their children's eyes, and the woodsmen hid behind their houses.

“Little girl!” cried an old woman. “That is the feather of an ancient and powerful witch! By bringing it here, you have tainted our village and led her to us! You must leave this town before she comes to eat our hearts and gnaw on our bones.”

The village agreed that the girl needed to return to the woods and never come back. The girl was saddened that she picked up a witch's feather without thinking, but she was determined to fix her mistake. Even though it was dark and cold, the girl waved goodbye to the town and set off to return the feather. Perhaps they would let her back in if she simply got rid of it where she found it.

The girl, although skilled in the ways of surviving in nature, had a very poor memory. She was soon wandering around in a part of the woods she had never been in before, and wasn't quite sure where she got turned around. She started to get a little nervous, as she noticed the noise of the owls and other nighttime birds had suddenly ceased.

She heard a voice echo throughout the woods. “Hello, small girl, it looks like you've picked up one of my feathers.”

The girl turned every which way, and could not find the source of the voice. She finally looked up, and there above her, was a house balanced on two bird legs. A witch was poking her head out the door, calling down to the girl. The girl watched as the witch floated down on her broomstick, landing just in front of the her.

“Aren't you supposed to be old?” asked the girl, who could not help herself even though she was frightened.

“Well, that's a rude thing to say.” said the witch. “I should turn you into soup for that insolent comment. Instead, I will spare your life by assigning you a task-- collect wood for my oven within the hour, and perhaps you will be blessed enough not to be roasting on the resulting fire.”

The girl agreed, since she didn't believe it would be too hard to get firewood for a small oven, as she brought her gear with her and she was used to the job. She completed the task in only a half hour. When she returned to the house on legs, the witch seemed surprised.

“Oh, I did not expect you to be done so soon,” said the witch. “Your next task is to light the fire in my oven with the wood you have collected.”

Before the girl could question why someone would need a servant to light a fire, the witch grabbed her and flew her and the wood up to the entrance of the house. The witch shuffled her inside, swatting the girl's ankles with the end of her broom. 

“That's not very nice,” said the girl, turning to the witch. “It's not like I would run off anywhere else.”

The witch blinked a few times and swatted the air with her hands. “Do not make such insolent comments, or I will turn you into bread. Light my fire for me.”

The girl looked around the house. It was rather small, only one room, with an oven and table on one end and a pile of blankets on the other. It looked rather new, like it was just furnished, and the oven had clearly never been lit before. “Where are your matchsticks?” asked the girl.

“Matchsticks?” replied the witch. “Why ever would I need those?”

The girl tilted her head and smiled. “Why, you are not an ancient and terrifying witch after all! You don't know how to light an oven!”

The witch stamped her foot and became furious. “Be quiet! Just because I am new to the business of witching does not mean I am utterly incompetent! I can still remember my curses and tricks I learned from my mentor, and let me assure you they are quite deadly if you do not do what I say!”

The girl just laughed, and gestured towards the oven. “Here, I'll teach you.”

The girl and the witch bent down to begin the process of lighting the oven together. The girl was patient and caring, and even though in her tutelage she made a few mistakes, the witch was able to pick up on the skill incredibly quickly.

After the oven was lit, the witch asked if they could make bread together. The girl made the witch promise that the bread would consist of only the basic ingredients, with no pieces of girl hidden inside. The witch agreed.

The bread turned out a little burnt, since neither of them were particularly good at cooking, so the witch assigned the girl the task of making soup so as to soak their burnt loaf. And the girl taught the witch how to make soup as well.

The witch kept giving tasks to the girl: to fold the blankets, to seal the jars her mentor had given her, to use the broom for sweeping and not for flying, and the girl taught her all these things. They chatted and worked and enjoyed themselves greatly. It became very late indeed, and the witch curled up on her oven to go to sleep, while the girl made her bed in the pile of blankets.

And the girl realized that she had quite a lot of fun on this day, more fun than she ever had collecting wood in the village, and she voiced these thoughts to the witch.

“Perhaps you can stay here if you'd like." said the witch. "You can be my servant as long as you want.”

The girl shook her head and smiled. “I won't be your servant,” said the girl. “But I'll be your friend.”

And the witch agreed.


	2. The Knight and his Ghost

Once upon a time, there was a valiant knight known far throughout the Empire.

He was absolutely fearless in every facet of war. His strike swiped to kill, his shield battered many a legendary opponent, his gun shot well and true, and he followed every strategy dictated to him to the letter. He was utterly devoted to his country and his ruler, and all of the nobles trusted him with their full heart. 

But while those reasons elevated the knight to high esteem, that wasn't why he was famous.

The knight was famous because he was blind.

He had been that way ever since birth, but had grown up a warrior and intended to fill his destiny despite his handicap. People said that was how he could do these things-- he could not see the face of death, so he could not know fear.

But, the knight was not a perfect killing machine. For when he was alone in his quarters, with nothing but himself to occupy his thoughts, he was very frightened. He shook and shook over what he had confronted that day, he hid his face in his hands, and he would panic about what horrors he might face tomorrow.

There was only one thing which could calm him enough to live on, and it was an event which happened nightly. Every evening, just as the stars became clear in the violet sky, beautiful music would drift through his window.

It was otherworldly, a simple tune hummed in the grass below his window, a different melody every night. The feminine voice which echoed through his chambers eased his worries and sang him off to sleep.

He would sometimes try to figure out who the songstress was. Every time he called to her, she would immediately stop singing, then he would hear something against the grass, running away from the window.

He came to the conclusion she was a ghost, perhaps a succubus, trying to sing him to fall out the tall window. He imagined her in all white, covered in jasmine flowers, and so beautiful if a man were to look upon her he would die instantly. He didn't mind she might be some ghost, because in time, her songs became the only thing in his life worth living for.

One day, there was a siege at the fortress where the knight lived. He grabbed his sword, his shield, and his dagger, and charged out bravely into the courtyard. He could hear the sounds of battle around him, and he could hear the familiar crashes of the swordstyle of his allies, and he began to fight.

He took down five, ten, fifteen, the foreigners easily distracted by the knight fighting with closed eyes and precise technique, and he began to hear the cheers of his allies around him. The crowd of enemies quieted and dispersed, fleeing through the main gates of the fortress. 

He chased after them, his comrades trailing behind, for that is what he knew his king would want him to do. He heard the whoosh of the gates pass above him, and felt the grass against the soles of his shoes, and he stopped in his tracks. He did not know where the enemies where, for he could hear nothing but the allies behind him, and feel nothing but the wind against his face.

But as he heard the first taps of fingers against triggers, he knew he had walked right into a terrible trap.

Because no matter how good his reflexes, no matter how fast he could move, he could not avoid the firing squad in front of him. 

As the bullets punctured his torso and arms, he swear he could see all the colors of the world just from the pain that rushed through him. He fell to the ground, tired and bleeding, and thought of nothing in particular as he listened to steps of soldiers running past him into the fortress.

He waited there for what seemed an eternity, the sounds of battle slowly diminishing to nothing, until he was left alone in darkness and silence. He was in such pain, he welcomed death with open arms.

But then he heard the beautiful voice of the ghost who sang by his window every night, slowly approaching him. He thought that perhaps the girl might be death, finally come to take him away after all this time. He wanted to look upon her, to touch her, just once before he died.

As she came closer and closer, her humming became louder and sadder, and he imagined her kneeling beside his head.

With the last of his willpower, he mustered up the strength to lift his hand off the ground and touch the girl who had been singing to him.

But as he placed his hand on the girl, he found not soft skin and clothing, but the warm feathers of a simple duck. She was no ghost, no girl, just a duck.

She continued to sing for him until his last breath.


	3. The Princess' Cage

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess known throughout the cities.

She was a mysterious woman, choosing to decorate herself with imagery of things dark and dead, things that lurk in the forest and wait for unwary travelers to trick and rob. These things were all unlucky, all ominous, but that just increased the appeal. She was morbid, silent, and viscous, and many a man tried to tame her.

But, at the end of the day, all regular visitors to her chambers would be defeated by her wit, by her poise, and by the way she danced around their accusations and banter as well as the finest politician. She stole many hearts this way, received many gifts, and never once returned any affections. 

Men who frequented her family's household theorized she could not get over a tumultuous childhood, as her father was strict and demanding, but that theory was dismissed when her sisters adjusted quite normally. The beautiful princess, on the other hand, had remained moody and angry all her years, lashing out at friends and often acting like the demons she wore.

In fact, there was a myth running through the local population that the princess was indeed a demon, kidnapped at birth, but she dismissed such notions with a slight wave of her hand and a sad shine in her eyes.

Every morning, just as the sun peeked over the mountains, a monk would visit her household asking for donations to his temple. He had been doing this since she was very little, and hadn't seemed to have aged in that whole time.

He was odd, completely removed from any fashion of the day. His hair was as white as the snow on the ground and his eyes were like the mud in a riverbank, and no one, besides the princess, would ever notice him. He appeared to be a monk, but his clothes were archaic and odd, not really sticking to one religion or temple.

She would always drop a few coins into his pot, listening to the empty clink against the bottom, and he would smile and bow, and take his leave.

One day, she decided she had to know who he was. She asked her attendants in private, her apprentices, her servants, her guards, and even her noble friends, but none of them had seen the monk. 

When she had exhausted all her resources, she resolved to ask the monk herself. She would have to be quiet, however, since her father did not approve of someone of her status conversing with peasantry. 

The next morning, she dropped a few coins into the monk's pot, and looked at him with the coldest gaze she could muster. He paused, didn't smile, simply waited. “Who are you?” she whispered. “What temple are you from?”

He looked towards the sky, thinking. “I'm no one, really.” He smiled his usual smile. “I'm just here for you.”

And then he bowed and left.

She thought that, perhaps, he was interested in pursuing her, like all the other men. But he never came for her, never asked about her through her servants, never even tried to send her love poems through the gate. It infuriated her, she had every other worthless man's heart, why not this monk's?

Winter had only gotten denser, colder, the worst winter in decades. The servants retired from her quarters earlier and earlier, wanting to get to their warm room and warm fire before the night sank. She did not mind, as long as they would provide her food and clean bedding, she let them go.

It was one such night, the first night she did not have another in the room with her in what seemed like years, when she finally met him.

She awoke to her door clattering in the night, finally opening with a bang. When she looked from her bed, the monk was crouched in the doorway, two large wings emerging from his back.

He was smiling, grinning ear to ear, and the princess was so frightened she could not call for her guards.

“Hello, princess,” said the demon. “I've come to free you.”

The princess could barely reply, she was so scared. “Free me?” said the princess. “I am already free.”

“My princess, you are not free. Look around you,” said the demon. “There are are bars on your windows to keep you from leaving. The guards are here not to protect you, but to stop you from running away. You have never left the house since you were born. You are in a cage, princess, and it does not suit your wings as well as the open air.”

The princess sensed that the demon was trying to make a deal with her, and she knew better than to bargain with demons. “I do not need to leave,” said the princess. “I have everything I need here. I have fame and money and many admirers.”

The demon cocked his head, and his eyes became sad and lonely. Not for himself, but out of empathy for the princess. That look shocked her, because no client had looked at her that way before. Her shivers eased as the demon slowly enunciated his reply. “But do you have happiness?”

The princess did not know what to say, for she knew she could not answer this question with anything but the truth. Instead, she narrowed her brows and put on her elegant expression and asked, “Why did you come to me?”

The demon simply closed his eyes and said, “Isn't it obvious? Because I want to help.” He hopped from the doorway, landing by her bedside, and gestured towards the cold night. “Step outside that door, and you'll find yourself with a better fate.”

“And what would that entail?”

“Freedom.” said the demon. “Freedom in her actions and her life, in command of herself and strong in all aspects. Step outside your cage, and you'll find yourself with a fate quite different than the path which you're currently treading down.”

The princess stood up, summoning all the anger that she could. She knew better than to make deals with demons, and she did not want to leave. “Get out of my room,” she said. “And do not come back to stalk me.”

The demon was taken aback, he looked a little rejected. “As you wish,” he whispered. “But there's a whole world out there just waiting for you.”

He bowed to her, hopped back out the door, spread his wings, and flew up high.

The princess stared at the open door. She looked at the shining stars in the night sky. Perhaps... Perhaps she wanted to see them from outside her home. Besides, what was the worst that could happen to her? She had nothing of meaning to loose, and something precious to gain.

“Wait!” she cried out. She rushed to the door. “Wait! Don't go yet!”

The demon flew back into view, tilting his head towards her voice.

“How do I... How can I leave?” she asked, leaning out the door. “How can I take care of myself out there? I don't know what to do.”

The demon dropped down to stand in front of her, and smiled so earnestly that something stirred in the princess' heart. “It's easy, you just have to trust me.”

And he spread his arms, expectantly.

The princess knew better than to make deals with demons. She knew better than to jump into the arms of strange men. She knew better than to trust anyone. She looked at the demon, who was patiently waiting for her. She tentatively grabbed his sleeve, checking for any illusions. He was soft and warm, and she walked into his open arms. 

She had nothing to loose after all, and something precious --her freedom-- to gain.


	4. Hungry Child

Once upon a time, there was a kind-hearted prince, known far throughout the city.

The prince did not have a very good home life. His mother and father were stingy and would only give the prince the barest of necessities. The prince did not enjoy spending time in his home, so he went on walks around his city, providing the people with what he could.

On one of these walks, the prince came across a boy in very poor condition.

“Hello, child,” said the kindly prince. “Are you hurt, or in trouble? Can I help you in some way?”

The boy simply looked up at the prince, and said, “I'm hungry. Feed me.”

And the prince, who had a very big heart, was so moved that he felt he must take the boy home with him.

When they arrived at his house, the prince shared what meager food his parents gave to him that day-- a simple bowl of rice. The boy looked at it, frowned, and pushed it back to the prince.

“Do not feed me this. Feed me words. Feed me stories. Feed me poems and literature.”

The prince thought the boy might be mad, but did not want to argue. The prince dashed off to the library in the house, keeping as quiet as possible, for he knew his parents did not like it when the books moved from their resting place. He picked out an old book of children's poems.

The prince returned to the sitting room where the boy waited with an unblinking gaze.

“Read it to me.” commanded the boy.

And the loving prince did as he was told. The prince did not particularly mind, he enjoyed doing things for others and it had been a long time since he had read the book. He read it cover to cover, and when he finally shut it and looked up at the boy, something had changed.

The boy had grown older, at least two years.

“I'm still hungry,” said the boy. “Feed me more. I can read them myself this time.”

So the prince snuck off to the library once more, and grabbed three different books. He gave them to the boy and sat down in a chair to watch the boy read.

And the prince saw that with each flick of the page, the boy would grow. His hair would grow longer, his shoulders would get more defined, and his hands would get thicker. When the boy finished his books, he was in his early teens.

“I feel better,” said the boy with a cold look. “But I need more.”

And the prince ran to the library and took as many books as he could carry, then gave them to the boy.

It was well into the evening when the boy finished. The prince was nodding off when the final cover closed, and when he looked up at the boy, he was shocked to see how much the child has grown. He was now as old, if not older, than the prince, and had turned into a young man.

The young man turned to the prince, and the young man's eyes were darker than the blackest of nights.

The prince was frightened, but stayed calm in his chair. The young man's lips started to tug into a smile.

“I was going to eat you once I grew big enough,” said the young man. “But you have given me very good sustenance to digest. You have done as I commanded. However, I am still hungry, and literature will not satisfy me any longer. So... I'll do you a favor.”

And the young man swirled himself in darkness and flew out of the room, into the house. The prince did not like this, and tried to chase the dark whirlwind through the house. He was not fast enough. The dark whirlwind swept through the bedroom where the prince's sleeping parents lay, and when the wind dissipated the prince's parents were gone.

The prince was very sad at the loss of his parents, but the people of the city immediately began to celebrate the crowning of a new leader, one who would be forever kind to his subjects.


	5. The Cat in the Castle

Once upon a time, there was a man who died.

This man was a great and terrible wizard, feared throughout the land. He had three children: an eel, an anteater, and a cat. They all gathered at his death bed on the fateful day as the wizard whispered his last words.

He did not want to leave his children alone without a parting gift, so he asked them what they desired most of all in the world.

“I desire power,” said the eel. The wizard waved his hands and lightning shook through the creature, who swam into the sea and was never seen again.

“I desire fame,” said the anteater. The wizard waved his hands and the anteater was teleported to a far away island where the natives worshiped her as a goddess.

Finally, it was the cat's turn. “I desire to marry the most beautiful girl in the kingdom,” said the cat. The wizard waved his hands and an apparition appeared before them. A scene played before their eyes of a beautiful and fair maiden working in the fields with her sister.

“I do not have enough power left to transport her here,” said the wizard. “You must go to this young woman and make her marry you.”

And with that, the wizard died.

The cat set out soon after with all his attendants and carriages. His desire for a new and beautiful bride was great and urgent.

When the cat and the rest of his parade came to the farm, the cat leaped from his carriage and proposed to the beautiful maiden.

“I will make you a princess,” he said. “You will stay in my castle and be mine forever. You will never have to work another day in your life.”

The maiden considered his proposal for a brief moment, then shook her head. “No,” she said. “I want to feel the earth beneath my feet as I work, I want to see the fruits of my labor as long as I live, and I want to be with my sister forever.”

The cat was outraged. He snarled and meowed and screamed. “I will have you marry me!” he yelled, and signaled for his many attendants to steal away the maiden back to the castle.

While the maiden was clever and cunning, she could not fight back against so many people, and she shrieked for her sister as she was shoved into a carriage. 

Her sister, who was hiding in the fields, knew that she had to rescue the maiden.

The young woman was not as elegant as her older sister, nor as charming or intelligent, but she was brave and determined and had the biggest heart in the whole kingdom. She knew she could rescue her sister, and was determined to do so.

But it was a very long way to the castle, and she did not have any horses. She had to pack light.

She made herself a few sandwiches for the road, wrapping them in cloth and placing them in her satchel. She also decided to take a few magical artifacts her sister had acquired from various admirers over the years, as they might come in handy for her daring rescue.

She chose a a stone heart which glowed with warmth, a jug of purest water which never ran dry, and a paper mask which would always hide the wearer.

She then set off on her journey to save her sister from the cat in the castle.

It was not long down the road before she came upon a man sitting on a fence.

He wore clothes worthy of the most royal standing, had pale skin, and beautiful white hair. He held a mirror, and was staring into the reflection with a blank gaze.

“Hello,” said the girl. “What are you doing on that fence?”

“I was a prince who loved everyone until a jealous witch stole my heart,” said the prince. “Now I have no room to love others, and can love only myself.”

The girl thought that was a very sad fate to befall a prince. The girl could not imagine losing her love for her sister or her neighbors.

“Can I do anything to help?” asked the girl.

The prince shook his head, refusing to move his eyes from the mirror. “Not unless if you have another heart to give me.”

“Well, I have my own,” said the girl. “But I think I'll keep that with me until I'm a little older. I have this one in my pack though.” She took out the heart rock and held it to the prince.

He tilted the mirror so he could see the rock along with his reflection. “It's a little too hard, and a little too small for my liking, but I can see it is warm and glowing. It will work just fine.”

She took the stone and pressed it gently into his chest, where it sunk in and disappeared. The prince looked up at the girl, and smiled. 

“Thank you, sweet girl. You've allowed me to feel kindness again through this warm heart. I hope you don't mind if I accompany you to wherever you're going.”

“I am off to the castle, to save my sister,” said the girl. “A mean cat took her to marry him.”

“Ah, that is rather unjust. Someone should be able to marry whoever they feel for, not whoever tries to force feelings upon them. It would be my honor, small girl, to accompany you on your rescue.”

The prince bowed to the girl and they continued down the path to the castle.

The two came to a thick forest, where the path wound through the trees in often confusing patterns. They almost got lost many times as they both forgot to look at the cobblestones beneath their feet. It was at a particularly interesting bend in the road where the pair found a ragged young lady sitting in the mud. She was absolutely covered in wet dirt and sand, from which black hair and pale skin peeked through.

“What are you doing in the mud?” asked the prince. “It doesn't look very comfortable in there.”

“This is where I always sit,” replied the ragged lady. “It's where I have always been and always will be.”

“You've never left the mud? Ever? At all?” asked the girl.

“No.” said the ragged lady. She pointed behind her, where the mud stretched on into the forest. “My home is that way, and I've never left it. I've always been told I was dirt and mud, and dirt and mud cannot leave their homes or they will dry out and die.”

“But that's not true!” said the girl. “You're not dirt at all, you're a human being!”

“I am covered in dirt, have been told I was dirt, and feel like dirt, therefore I must be dirt,” said the ragged lady, crossing her arms. “And you can't convince me otherwise.”

“No, no, you're a beautiful girl!” said the prince, and continued trying to convince the ragged lady that she was not dirt.

However, our own brave heroine knew that it would take a bit more to convince the ragged lady that she was not what she thought she was. The girl took the jar of purest and cleanest water from her satchel, strode to where the ragged lady was sitting, and poured it over her head. 

The ragged lady shrieked and jumped up in shock. The water poured down over her hair, down her face and her back, cleaning her dress and arms and hands and everything in between. When the mud from her body pooled down at her feet, it turned out the ragged lady was, in fact, a beautiful lady.

She stared at her hands, and looked at her dress, and shook with awe. “I'm not just mud? I'm a person?” she whispered. “I can go anywhere I want, do anything I want, be anything I want?”

“Of course!” said our heroine. “If you want, you can start by coming with us to the castle. I am going to rescue my sister from the cat who is forcing her to marry him.”

The lady thought for a moment, then said, “That is a very bad thing. No one should force someone into doing something. I want to help get your sister out of a forced situation, just like you helped me. Now that I know I'm not mud, I feel like I can do anything.”

And so the trio continued down the path.

They soon came upon the gates of the town surrounding the castle. Under the big iron awning, a knight stood guard. He wore polished armor, had dark skin, and had long black hair tied in a ponytail.

“Halt,” said the knight, walking towards the trio. “Show me your traveling passes, otherwise I will not let you inside.”

“Traveling passes?” asked the prince. “I didn't know we needed traveling passes for this side of the kingdom.”

“You only have thirty seconds to produce them,” said the knight, brandishing his sword. “Or I will have to cut you down.”

The trio turned to each other, and after some discussion, decided they didn't have a travel pass between any of them, nor did they have the methods to get one. 

“Are you really going to cut us down?” asked the lady. “That seems rather barbaric.”

“I am a man of the law,” said the knight. “I have to do what is destined for me to do, and the law is very clear about that.”

“Perhaps you can let us in anyway?” said the lady. “It's such a waste to kill us, especially since we're human beings too.”

“Yes,” said the prince. “Don't you care about taking a life?”

“My status as a knight states that I must do my job,” said the knight, raising his sword. “And it would be best if you remain complacent in the face of the law.”

He rushed the girl first, but she flailed and waved her arms and managed to avoid the blow of the sword by falling over. Her knapsack opened on the fall, sending all her sandwiches and her mask flying into the air. The knight looked at the mask on the ground, then lowered his sword.

“What's this?” he asked. 

“A mask.” replied the girl, a little shaken. “It will disguise whoever puts it on, and no one will be able to recognize them.”

To the trio's surprise, the knight picked the mask up and looked at it. “Will the bearer be unable to recognize themselves as well?”

The girl thought for a moment and said, “I suppose so.”

The knight placed the mask over his eyes and fastened the back around his ears. The prince took out his mirror and held it up to the knight.

“You're right, I don't look the same at all,” said the knight. “I don't look like a knight anymore. I don't feel like a knight anymore. I don't think I have to be a knight anymore. I think I'll just be me.”

He bowed down to the girl, who had now stood up. “I am sorry for hurting you,” the young man said. “If there's anything I can do for you, please request it of me. I want to make it up to you.”

“I am going to rescue my sister in the castle!” said the girl. “She got kidnapped by the cat, who is forcing her to marry him.”

The young man nodded. “I will help you save your sister. No one should be given a life they don't want.”

And the four continued down the path towards the castle.

The cat, by now, had received word that a knight at the gates of the town had left his post, and was now coming to the castle with three more people in order to steal his fiancee from him. He began to devise a plan about how to keep her locked up with him.

When the four reached the doors of the castle, and entered the great hall, they found that there were many people waiting for them. They were dressed in armor and standing at attention. The girl saw the cat at the head of the crowd.

“I've come to save my sister!” she shouted. “Give her back! She doesn't want to be here!”

The cat hissed at the girl, then raised a paw. “I will not give my future bride to you, and you will not be able to overcome the army of love behind me in order to take her. You will have to give up.”

“Army of love?” questioned the prince. “Is this true?”

“Yes, they are mercenaries well equipped to fight for any just cause in the matters of love.” said the cat. “And my cause is the most righteous of all.”

The prince addressed the army. “You do not want to fight for this cat, for he does not know what love is. I do, however, and I can tell you this girl's love for her sister is far more just. I can judge because this girl gave me the ability to love truly once more, and what this cat considers love is nothing but shallow. This is not worth fighting for.”

The army began to stir, and slowly, one by one, they left the cat's side and crossed to where the girl and her friends stood. The cat began to hiss and meow.

“Fine!” said the cat. “You can go over to that side, but you cannot resist the second trick up my sleeve! I have powder with me to turn all of you into animals, and not the intelligent kind like I!” 

He reached into his sleeve and threw a powder at the girl and her friends. Before the powder could hit them, the lady pushed her companions out of the way, and took all the powder onto herself.

The cat waited eagerly for the lady to turn into a bird or a fish, but nothing happened. 

“What? Why did nothing happen?” asked the cat.

“I am not an animal, or anything else.” said the lady. “Because of this girl right here, I now know that I am a human, and I will never be anything but a human. I am finally comfortable with myself, and so I refuse for your powder to work on me.”

The cat became angrier and furred himself up. “You! Knight!” he beckoned. “You must obey your leader, because you hold the status of city guard! Come to me and help defend against these invaders!” 

The young man shook his head. “Because of this girl, I no longer have to be a knight. I can be whatever I want, and right now I want to be someone who helps and protects, not out of loyalty to their station, but out of the goodness of their heart.”

The young man took the rope from around his belt and tied up the cat with it. They left him in the great hall with the army as he hissed and meowed. The girl and her companions ran through the castle, searching for the girl's sister, and they finally found her in the highest tower.

The sister smiled with relief, and thanked her rescuers.

“Let's go home.” said the girl. “All of us!”

And they did.

The cat, meanwhile, had quite a bit of time to think about what love really meant, and decided that maybe, just maybe, he should get his priorities in order. He decided that sounded like a good idea, and the kingdom became quite a better place in the weeks and months following.


End file.
